DEREK TRUCKS BAND | 11.5 | STANHOPE, NJ

The anticipation was high for this special Sunday night show. The Derek Trucks Band was appearing at the Stanhope House in Stanhope, NJ for the fourth time with Jiggle opening up the show. Looking at the schedule in the weeks leading up to the show, this looked like a great one to catch. Reviews of the previous DTB shows have been full of praise. I was anxious to see how the band sounded with their new member, Javier Colon.

For anyone who has not been to the historic Stanhope House, it was constructed in the late 1700's. It has a long history as being a great place to see live music. The inside of the club looks like an authentic juke joint. The walls are filled with pictures of the great artists that have graced the stage of this great venue. It is a narrow room with a low tin ceiling. The walls are dark wood and the windows are stained glass. The stage is only a few inches off of the floor, so it is very intimate and gives off a great vibe.

Jiggle jumped on stage early. You could tell that they were pumped up to play from the very first note. A very talented band out of Boston, these guys can jam with best of them. Early on you could tell that they would win over the crowd that had come to see Mr. Trucks play. Starting out with "Walking Backwards," they continued to segue into a heavy groove influenced jam. Proclaiming that "they have started to feel like family" at the Stanhope House (this was actually their fourth appearance as well), they launched into a fiery set of Jiggle originals that had the crowd quickly moving up front to dance. Near the end of the set, as the band did 'Liz Reed tease, the crowd started to buzz from a rumor that Derek Trucks was going to come up and jam. Derek's soundman, Marty, was soon seen setting up a guitar rig on the stage. As soon as they started playing "Kinka," (a heavy reggae jam), you suddenly heard the signature sound that the packed house was waiting for. That familiar sound of Derek playing slide guitar started cutting through the thick air in the club. Jiggle seemed to kick it up a notch as Derek was ripping it up in a tune that he probably had not heard before. Guitarist Gary Backstrom and Derek dueled back and forth as they transitioned into "Aliento de Vida," giving the crowd goose bumps as they hung on every note being played up on the stage. You could feel a tremendous amount of energy in the club. Everyone on the stage looked like they were having a great time. As they finished out the song, a loud roar came from the crowd. It was definitely an indication that we were in for a special show.

After a quick break, the Derek Trucks Band took to the stage. You could still feel a lot of energy coming from the crowd. The band immediately went into "Naima." This instrumental showcases Derek's tremendous ability with slide guitar. The second song, "I Believe," showcased the soulful vocals of Javier Colon. For anyone who had not seen the band since Bill McKay left, you quickly got the feeling what direction the band was going with their sound. You had to love it. The set continued through some great songs including, "Traveling South," "Tutu", and a really soulful version of "For Your Brother." A long, ripping "Feel So Bad" finished off the set that left the crowd craving more.

The second set opened up with a real mellow feel, until they jumped into a spirited version of the Miles Davis classic, "So What." A great version of "555 Lake" showed off the talents of Kofi Burbidge on keys. Kofi and the band were grooving hard and segued into a spaced out ending with Derek flexing his muscle on the guitar. This quickly moved into a soulful version of "Use Me Up." The band seemed to be hitting their mark. The next song was a highlight for me and seemed to leave the crowd standing there with their jaws on the floor. The band moved into "Maki Madi Ni," a song performed by the Pakistani artist, Nusrat Fateh Alli Kahn. The tremendous respect that the band, led by the young Trucks, showed to this song awed the crowd. You could tell the band and the crowd were totally tuned into each other. The set ended with a rousing "Yield Not," leaving everyone cheering for more.

As an encore, a quick "Cissy Strut" transitioning into Bob Marley's, "Lively Up Yourself," left everyone in a great mood. I felt that I had possibly just seen one of the best sets of music that I have seen in a long time. Many tapers were in attendance, I would suggest tracking this one down.

After seeing this band so many times, I cannot help but to think how lucky I am to watch these guys progress right in front of my eyes. Every time I think that it cannot get any better, they seem to raise the bar another level. If you have not seen this band play in awhile, make sure you check them out again. It is well worth it. They are by far one of the most talented bands in the scene today.

Rob Ortiz